Sustainable building, traditional roofing, odds and ends...

Wed31oct
All Hallo’s Eve in the states, though unrecognized here…drizzling and cold, and we’re at it again with a goal of completing the bulk of the shingling by day’s end… all exceptions are off re using wet shingles and OSB, as we’ve no real choice with the onset of fall/winter temps and concomitant weather. Drizzle gave way to rain by afternoon... met our goal to complete the bulk of the roof, though the gable is yet to be built out, and the tabs/caps along peak and ends remain to be done.

Sopping wet, muddy to the knees, sore everywhere… and smiling [heeheehee]

Tue30oct
A second day off in a row gave way to a request to work on site… a rare weekday with a record 8 in all on deck to shingle the roof, about 65% complete by day’s end and rain on the way… we’re on a roll!

Mon29oct
“Free day”

27-28oct
Tomorrow and Sunday we'll be shingling, perhaps with Monday/Tuesday off... Thursday is another national holiday (somewhat like our Memorial Day), and next Friday and Saturday we have a student group here.

Fri26oct07
The HFH Hungary national director was here yesterday.... interesting day.

Learning electrical systems and spending lots of time on ladders today with just Levi and I; he really is a good teacher... this is the closest I've come to understanding how to string/pull electrical wires yet... had fun and did my dad proud… he has always maintained that electricity is easily learned, i.e., the path of least resistance… works great until the concept gets wrapped up in my little “resistors

Wed24oct07
Pondering “the journey” today…The Hopi have an image called "The Man In The Maze”, symbolizing the journey of life and its decisions...I am drawn to the design for many reasons, among them its labyrinth look and feel; I suspect the journey of life/decisions meanings are self explanatory within that visual representation

Mon22oct07:
A Hungarian National holiday tomorrow, so many locales are on short hours or closed today as part of a 3-day weekend of sorts.

I suspect Levi is working the site; with no call this morning, also suspect that he is enforcing a day off for me... it's quite windy and cold today, so happy to oblige, and have been chugging my way through blog updates and other "domestics".

Sun21oct07:
Another good day on site, though I confess arms, shoulders and hands are making their presence known from gripping and flinging shingles en mass Levi and his wife and family gifted me with lunch yesterday, vegan (though not raw) and very nice.

Sat20oct07
The Sustainable Building Advisory course recommended readings took 3 hours to download from various websites for Units 1 & 2 (Oct and Nov sessions)... exclusive of the required textbooks and recommended reading in book form available only in the states (or checked out from the local library)?

Methinks this class will prove important for me in several ways, one being to expand my knowledge base and challenge the strength of my confidence and conviction for these things so long in my heart... I'm liking the challenge, and working to be "whelmed" (yes, whelm is an actual verb meaning submerged, among other things) versus overwhelmed by the volumes of things to know I believe I am the only non-construction background person in this session, at east in terms of formal training... just means I'll be "running" a little faster than the others to keep pace (she says confidently). With a "worst case scenario" of "scheduled" learning and questions answered, I'm in a study-intensive win-win... very cool.

Productive day today... Levi and I worked on site from 1300-1700 with Tomas (a recipient family friend), Bondi and Sztanka, a homeowner from the previous project. Though primarily Hungarian spoken, most build work is visual, and the tone and banter are fun in any language. The day was a nice change of pace, literally working the site versus supervising/coaching... for me, sometimes as relaxing/rewarding as a "day off", though Levi has a hard time believing that to be true The roof shingling is high priority so regardless of philosophy he/we are glad for the hands to help any day we can get them. The weather is the true deciding workday factor at present and today was perfect... cool, overcast, and little wind. It’s also peaceful to occasionally work the site with just 3-4 other folks versus 10-15... sometimes faster, sometimes no. Lots of laughter today (universal language), and about 20% of our 400 sq meter roof is shingled. Slow but sure, yes?